Advancements have been made from the simple conventional system of deck plank installation, using fasteners driven through each plank, which have improved integrity of each plank and the deck system as a whole, as well as improving safety and efficiency.
For instance, an improved deck plank fastening system includes fasteners that attach to a side surface of the plank and a top surface of the support (i.e., a joist or like object) using securing members (i.e., nails or screws). Other improvements and permutations have been conceived in this field, including the provision of deck planks with side grooves for receiving the teeth or tabs of hidden fasteners (also referred to herein as installation clips) that can be attached directly to an underlying decking support, thereby avoiding driving a securing member through the deck plank. Such improvements have specific advantages in specific circumstances, but have not foreclosed innovation in the field.
For example, power driving devices exist and are employed which assist assembly of a decking structure by allowing installers to quickly attach fasteners to planks by driving an elongated securing member from a barrel through the fastener and into another object, such as a decking support. With many power driving devices, an installer holds the fastener in place in front of the barrel of the tool with one hand and operates the tool with his other hand to drive a securing member.
A novel nozzle retainer exists and is disclosed in co-owed and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/573,540. The retainer has a head protruding from the front of a barrel that is configured to engage a fastener and hold the fastener in a predetermined position in front of the barrel for substantially hands-free attachment. Examples of fasteners for which the retainer is particularly useful are disclosed in co-owned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/030,625 and Ser. No. 13/532,145. The hands-free retainer substantially increases the efficiency of installation while reducing or eliminating the risk of injury to the installer.